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What do you get if you merge a four-door hatchback, an eco-friendly Prius engine, and radical styling?

Would you believe a Lexus hybrid?

Imagine a stretched version of the Scion xD or Toyota Matrix to provide the requisite number of doors and a hatch; toss a 1.8-liter four-cylinder gas motor and the current Toyota Prius mill under the hood, add a wide-stance and low slung body that’s but 4.6 feet tall, and you’ve got the 2011 Lexus CT 200h.

The resulting car more resembles the departed Dodge Magnum retrofit with aggressive, attractive styling not usually found on a Lexus. The look is more familiar in the Scion tC, on whose platform this offering is based. Remember, one of Scion’s original goals was to create a line for younger buyers who would remain loyal to the brand, matriculate to Toyota, and lounge in a Lexus in the latter years.

It seems the new Lexus and its boy-racer style is designed for the aging, conservative, energy-conscious driver who doesn’t like the Prius look or its pokey but highly economical output.

I liked the aggressive styling on the fascia of this new Lexus, the company’s fifth hybrid, with its wraparound projector headlamps, oversized mirrors, and high beltline that helps you feel cosseted on the inside. An elongated roof augments its aerodynamic styling, with a rear spoiler lip atop the hatch and the smartly styled backside with under-car intakes and an optional backup camera. Also appreciated was the lack of large “hybrid” badges.

For those wondering, the CT 200h is six inches shorter overall with a four-inch shorter wheelbase than the Prius. Aside from the eco-mill, there’s little else shared from the Prius parts bin.

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There are plenty of Lexus and Toyota cues to be found inside, making the interior familiar yet surprising. The CT has easy to access ergonomic controls, buttons with icons, and an intelligent mouse/joystick infotainment selector for the large screen that pops up from the center of the dash.

Shifting, however, finds you jiggling an oddly shaped chrome lever. Flip into reverse and you touch off a beeper similar to a delivery truck in a loading zone, yet thankfully it’s only audible inside. A large round knob selects gears on the fly: Eco, normal or sport. The EV button propels the CT on the 168-cell battery pack alone. If you stay under 28 mph, say in the slog that is often Storrow Drive, you are doing an all-electric ride. Top 28 mph in the EV and the gas engine kicks in.

The eco mode is predictably Prius slow. Normal is a tad more spritely but not neck-snapping. Sport produces the ultimate changes for the better, without pushing you back in the buckets, and this may be a problem. The ride is so silent you may not check the speedometer. Tracking through corners is superb. Straightaway speed is fine, passing needn’t be a planned event, and you’ll need to pay attention to the posted speed limits … just in case.

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With a hybrid vehicle weighing a ton and a half, connected to a front-drive CVT transmission, power is not the main focus. A listed 0-to-60 mph time of 9.8 seconds seems credible given the total 134 horsepower. If you push the motor it will remind you it prefers and performs best in its cruising attitude.

Perhaps the most notable change in Sport mode comes with the change of the dash color from blue to red. Also, underscoring the spirited Sport mode, the electronic hybrid meter for the other mode changes into a tachometer.

Adding to this are MacPherson struts up front together with a double wishbone rear suspension. Engineers placed a shock-like device between the front struts to absorb and soften the harshness that single struts would produce. The stability control program also dials itself down in this mode.

The bucket seats are solid. The driver’s side gets electronic adjustments while the passenger seat features manual adjustments. That seems odd in a technological test bed. Consider also the CT is low, has fewer than six inches of ground clearance and sits upon 17-inch tires, so it’s easy to realize why it tracks like a slot car. However, I can’t imagine taking this through snow banks left by the plow and not getting stuck.

Room inside the CT — initials stand for Compact Touring — won’t cause claustrophobia. Everything is close but not cramped. Headroom is good up front but the sliding moonroof scrubs rear seat headroom where legroom is also greatly reduced.

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The CT also amazed with its rear cargo room, augmented by the 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat. The spare tire resides under the rear cargo floor. The CT comes in two variants: a base and the premium, which offers more doo-dads and options that load it up well past its base MSRP of $31,999.

While folks will whine that there’s not enough power and complain that a missing manual transmission option is a transgression, one must also consider that this Lexus is a compact car and a hybrid. Lexus clearly has big plans for this car both home and abroad.

If you desire a small, eco-friendly car that’s not German, stands out in a crowd, and gives you the ability to dash while saving some cash, this could be the hybrid for you.

Contributors

Bill Griffith is a veteran Boston Globe reporter, having reviewed cars for more than 10 years and serving as assistant sports editor for 25 years. He was also the paper's sports media columnist.In the garage: 2006 Subaru Baja

John Paul is public affairs manager for AAA Southern New England, a certified mechanic, and a Globe columnist. He hosts a weekly radio show on WROL.
In the garage: Hyundai Sante Fe, Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible

Craig Fitzgerald has been writing about cars, motorcycles, and the automotive industry since 1999. He is the former editor of Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car. In the garage: 1968 Buick Riviera, 1996 Buick Roadmaster, 1974 Honda CB450

Keith Griffin is president of the New England Motor Press Association and edits the used car section on About.com. He also writes for the Hartford Business Journal and various weekly newspapers in Connecticut.
In the garage: Mazda 5, Dodge Neon

George Kennedy is a senior writer for WheelsTV in Acton, which produces video reviews for Yahoo, MSN, and other auto websites.
In the garage: Lifted 1999 Jeep Cherokee